svvickard



JOHN W. SWICKARD, OF GALVA, ASSIGNOR TOIHIMSELF AND WILLIAM H. I-IOWELL,

Letters Patent No. 92,

OF ALTONA, ILLINOIS.

224, (lated July 6, 1869.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and. makingv part of the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN W. SWIGKARD, ot' Galva,

in the county ot' Henry, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Excavators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, ret`- erence heilig had to the accompanying drawings, inaking a portion of this specitication, in which` l Figure l is a top view.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal central sectional view. Y

Similar letters ot' reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures..

The nature of this invention relates to improvements in excavators; and

The invention consists in a suit-able frame, mounted 0n two wheels, and carrying the dirt-box on the axle,

and the shovel in the rear, suspended hy oscillating arms from the'axle, the wheels being provided with arms and guides, which, passing up between the dirtbox and shovels,y serve to elevate the dirt, as excavated, and deposit it iu the dirt-box.v

It also consists in suit-able mechanism for throwing the wheels in gear u'ith the axle, for the purpose ot' revolving and emptying the dirt-box.

To enable others to understand the construction and operation of my invention, I will proceed to describe it with urefe-rence to the drawings.

A represents a rectangular,trame, of which B is the draught-pole, and C O are stays or braces.

I) represents the axle, supported in suitable bearings in'the side pieces ot the trame A.

M represents the dirt-box, which may be cylindri cal, as represented in the drawings, or it'may be semicylindrical, or square, ortriangular, with the hind side` cylindrical, and is attached solid to the axle' D, by

means ot'the square hole in the `cylinder E. I" represents the wheels, which support the frame A, and run on suitable spindles on the axle l).

K represents the arms or spokes of the wheels F.; and

H represents flat bars, passing from the arm of one wheel to the corresponding arm of the other, said bars heilig so placed on the armsK, that they may nearly touch the dirt-box on the rear side, in revolving the wheels F, and to act as sweeps in carrying the loos-v ened dirt up to the dirt-box P represents the shovel or plow, curved longitudinally, nearly corresponding with the circle described by the bars H, in revolving.

This shovel may be formed of any suitable material, and steel-pointed, and may be strengthened by ribs It, bolted or riveted thereon.v y

'J represents guards, so placed on the bars H, as to prevent lthe' dirt from falling off at the sides of the shovel, in passing up to the receiving-box.

S, represents arms, pivoted o n the axle D, at the forward end, and carrying the shovel P at the rear end.

N represents a lever, pivoted to the main frame, at one end, and at the other tio the level' O, the lever O' clutches b b, serves to draw the slide a outward, so Y that the inner clutch n may catch in the notch c in the boxing el, and hold the, axle from turning with the wheels.

T represents a lever, attached to the main frame by the journal g", and having a crank-shaped l handle, T", at the back end, and an eye, fr, at the forward end.

By pressing on the handle T, the;eye fr" will in turn bear against the forward end of the arm S, which in turn will bear against the clutch n, and throw it into one ot' the notches e inthe hub of the wheel F. [The clutch n" being at the same time withdrawn from the notch c, will allow the axle to revolve with the wheels F; and the dirt-box M being carried over with the axle I), may be emptied ot its contents, and when the mouth of the dirt box again comes up to the desired posit-ion, by taking the hand and pressure ott' of the 'crank T, the spring W will immediately thro'w the clutch n"again into the notch c,and hold the dirt-box h'rmly, while the wheelsF revolve on the axle D.

By drawing with the hand on the lever O, the

shovel P may be elevated, whenever desirable, and the v device for, elevating it, it will be seen, tends to with-- draw the shovel from the dirt in the easiest direction, and not, as in all other machines, to lift. or force it up through the unbroken ground, often immediately over it.

I contemplate addi-ng tothis mpehine a loose gear, for disconnecting the wheels when turning, and connectin g again when moved forward- What l claim as my invention, and desire to lsecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The longitudinally-curved shovel P, when suS-,A

3. The arrangement ot' lever T, arm S", slidefa, with clutches b I) and n" n, and notches c and e, spring W, and axle D, substantially as described and for the pur".-

pose set forth.

' JOHN W. SWICKARD. Witnesses:

G. L. FOSTER, Y O.,W. .N neus. 

